PRESCOTT, Ariz. —A 70-year-old man is hospitalized after leading officers on a high-speed pursuit before igniting a propane tank with a blowtorch, causing a massive explosion that set fire to a deputy’s cruiser, AZ Family reported.
Authorities say the Feb. 13 incident began when the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Prescott Police Department in locating a man who was wanted on a felony warrant from Maricopa County for weapons misconduct.
The man was believed to be armed and had previously made threats to blow up people, including law enforcement officers, according to the report.
Officers spotted the suspect driving east toward Prescott and attempted a traffic stop, but he refused to pull over, according to the report. Police set up spike strips to prevent him from reaching populated areas. As the man neared the spike strips, he slowed down, lit a blowtorch out of his driver’s side window, and continued driving.
The pursuit ended in a residential neighborhood near Country Club Circle and Canada Crescent, where the suspect rammed a Prescott police patrol vehicle. Deputies then boxed in his car to prevent further escape. Moments later, an explosion erupted inside the suspect’s vehicle, quickly engulfing it in flames.
After the explosion, the man emerged from the burning car holding the blowtorch and propane tank before officers took him into custody. He was transported to a nearby hospital and later flown to Phoenix for further treatment, according to the report.
The explosion ignited a Yavapai County deputy’s vehicle and caused minor fires in the surrounding area, but no first responders or bystanders were injured, according to the report. A nearby water main broke, leading to temporary evacuations, and damage was visible in the neighborhood, including burnt trees and a torched parking lot sign.
